The rougher and readier cousin of Marketing magazine. You'll find ideas, gossip, commentary and a touch of cynicism as we flex our journalistic muscles beyond the constraints of our monthly mag.

Monday, January 22, 2007

Amateur filmmaker takes on The Trainee

A bunch of advertising folks got together last year to make a short film which has screened at film festivals worldwide and which a lucky few were privy to at The Butter Factory on Saturday.

The brainchild of Batey’s new creative director Craig Rosenthal, ‘The Trainee’, is an 8-minute piece which looks not unlike an ah beng movie ala Kelvin Tong but which makes a wicked comedic piece with unexpected twists.

If you recall, during Cannes last year, Craig and his creative partner Ivan Wibowo blogged for Marketing every day while in France, entertaining you with their brand of humour. I found myself checking my mailbox incessantly waiting for their daily report.

So when Craig invited me and my team to attend the private screening of his first attempt at filmmaking, he also reminded me of last year and I was only too excited to attend.

In his invite, he stipulated “8 sharp movie” so I made the taxi driver speed in heavy rains to make it there by 7.55pm. But Craig’s been here for quite a while now and he’s been Singaporeanised and he has developed Chinese wedding dinner mentality and by the time the show started it was 8.45pm? Jialat.

Hahaha, ok back to the point.

The story takes place along the infamous Keong Saik Road and is about a trainee robber who tried to hold up a 24-hour convenience store with hilarious consequences.

It was only completed last October, after nine months or so, but has already been invited to attend famour film festivals such as the New York Shorts Festival, the San Francisco Independent Film Festival, the Cape Town World Cinema Festival and Cinemanilia.

Credits:

Written and Directed by Craig Rosenthal

Cinematographer Haruld Goh

Producted by Adriane Lee

Executive Producers Susan Lim, Melvin Mak & Craig Rosenthal

Film Editor Spencer Boey & Yong

Colour Grading Cory Spykerman Brandon

Music & Sound Design by Jerry Teo

Co-Producer Kimberly James

Assistant Director Gayle Hariff

Casting by Marcia Tan

Title Design Ivan Hady Wibowo & Joseph Chiang

Art Director Steiner Lim

Props Assistant Perng Yu

Camera Assistant Dean Sam Quen & Ho Kah Meng

Gaffer Ailaster Chang

Grip Lee Kee Hong, Sheldon Ngiam & Willian Lim

Junior Grip Wei Hoo

Sound Recordist Jafry

Hair & Makeup Artist Red

Dog Trainer Valerie Wee

Production Assistant Sacha Leong & Terri Goh

Produced with the assistance of Cheers FairPrice, Teo Studio, VHQ, YellowBox

With Support of Singapore Film Commission

You can check out thetrainee.blogspot.com for more info or if you want to get your hands on a copy of the film, email hellocraigrosenthal@gmail.com.